Doing the Right Thing
by jaxg
Summary: Not Your Average Commute  New Chapter Contest entry  rework/continuation. Sookie stops to help a pregnant woman during her morning commute.  Little did she know doing the right thing might end up changing her life. Sookie/Eric/Amelia/Tray AH
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – **This story was originally a one-shot that was created for the New Chapter contest called _Not Your Average Commute_. I had received feedback asking that this story continue and I had wanted to do so when I first started writing it, but I was stuck. I just couldn't make it happen. I got some really great feedback on my original entry from _peppermintyrose_ that changed the way I was looking at the story. So with her feedback and encouragement I've retooled this first chapter and have it ready to go. Big, Big thanks to PMR for all of your help!

Also a nod to _BathshebaRocks_, who I found has a great one-shot called _Do the Right Thing_. It is a well-written entry for the Two Wrongs Make a Right Challenge last summer. Check it out! BR, thanks for the understanding with my new title!

**Doing the Right Thing **

It was a Wednesday like any other. I started my morning to the sound of my alarm blaring loudly at 6:30am. I managed to pull on my running gear, grab my iPod and head out the door to make my way into Riverside Park for my daily run. I know, it's not Central Park, but it's close to home, it's on the river and I love the breeze in the summer. And it's needed today. It's already warm.

Surprisingly, while I'm running I see Pam ahead of me. This can't be a good sign. She is a gym girl and she only runs when she's crazy stressed. I catch up to her and we're able to run together for a little bit.

"So spill; how was your date last night? Do you have plans for another?" Pam God love her was trying to play matchmaker. My date last night was a result of one of those matches and it will go down in the record books for one of the worst dates _ever_.

"I don't know that I'll be ever dating again after last night. It was god-awful, but we'll talk about that later. I'm worried about you. It's not often I see you running, especially at this hour."

"Yeah, 'you know who' has been pretty bitchy that I have had to take a few days to work on the L'Oreal shoot and has been making my life miserable. She doesn't have any public appearances scheduled until the weekend, yet she's acting like she can't figure out which pair of underwear to dress in if I'm not there. To top it off, I've been having trouble getting measurements for the talent for the shoot, so I'm worried about the clothes fitting. It's all been a nightmare."

Pam is one of my dearest friends. She's a wardrobe stylist and has been working for the past year with one well known female singer, whose diva tendencies have me amazed constantly. It's a great job for her career but I really wonder how Pam deals with all of the BS.

Four miles later after assurances to Pam that she will be brilliant and I'm back at home in my apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Eighty-Fifth between West End and Riverside to be exact. I've got the coffee brewing as I hop into the shower to get ready. I've got to hustle and get myself ready. As I am getting dressed, I check voicemail and the email that's already started to come in this morning on my blackberry. Shit. The proposal that was due Friday is now due by 2:00 today. A quick phone call into the office to get the team started on the edits and I'm running out the door. I'm not really dressed for running, I've got on my grey pencil skirt, my periwinkle silk halter top, my beautiful brushed steel 3.5 inch heels. The jacket I can't bear to put on yet. Kudos to Pam for making me buy this outfit. She's got great taste, and is responsible for some of my better wardrobe choices. Who am I kidding? She was responsible for most of my better wardrobe choices. And the discount she gets from most designer shops that she deals with makes it easier to be her life-sized Barbie.

I'm praying that it's still early enough that I can find a taxi or a car service without much problem. But as I head to West End I realize from looking at the traffic that a taxi is out of the question if I want to get downtown on time. I work for a marketing and communications firm in the village on 7th Ave just off of 14th Street. The subway it is.

God I hate taking the subway on days like today. If it's hot up here, it's absolutely disgusting down there. I trudge up to the entrance on 86th & Broadway and make the trek down into the soup. At least I don't have to wait long for a train to come, and by some miracle, I actually get a seat. God, I can't believe they changed the deadline on the proposal. I still wasn't satisfied with it yet. We would have to work quickly, but we could still get it done. I looked up when we were at 72nd Street and noticed a very pregnant woman get onto the train. I look around, and I can't believe that no one is offering to give up their seat to her. Not a single guy. They are all pretending that they don't see her. What assholes.

"Excuse me miss, would you like to sit here?" I ask. The relief on her face is evident.

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate it!"

"No problem." I stand up and we switch spots with her sitting down on the bench seat. She's got a maternity dress on with some flip-flops and is carrying the world's largest purse. I guess it must be practice for carrying a diaper bag.

"I tell you, it's so freaking hot down here, between the heat and having to stand, I thought I was going to die!" She says while mopping at a sheen of perspiration on her brow. I'm sure I have a small one too. They say these cars are supposed to be air conditioned, but they never seem to be.

"I can imagine. When are you due?" She seems friendly enough and it will help pass the time for the remainder of my stops, so I figure I'll keep chatting.

"Not for another three long weeks. I'm really anxious to get this little guy out, but I really need him to stay in there for a little longer."

"Oh." I can't think of anything else to contribute at this point. In fact, I start thinking again about the proposal.

"My husband is in Iraq, and they are letting him come home for the birth of our son. So I need this little guy to stay in for at least another two weeks so Tray can make it." Man, I couldn't imagine that.

"Wow, it must be hard having your husband so far away while you are pregnant."

"Yeah, but with Skype and email, he does get a chance to see how big I'm getting, and see the ultrasound photos. It's all I can hope for at this point. That and that he's safe."

I see that we're at 23rd street, so that means that my stop is coming up soon.

"You're in the home stretch at least!" I'm trying to be encouraging. She's not saying anything anymore, and she looks a little uncomfortable. Her face is red and pinched up.

As the train slides into the 18th street station I ask, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Oh, um I am just feeling lots of pressure all of a sudden. And some weird cramping. I'm sure it will pass soon."

As I watch her, the expression on her face doesn't seem to let up. She starts to stand up, and doubles over a little bit. Before I know it I hear a splash. Looking down, I see that her water has broken all over the floor of the subway car.

"Oh my God!" I grabbed her bag from her and helped her to the platform at 14th Street. "Can you walk? Are you okay?" This poor thing was just telling me how her baby needed to stay in, and her water broke all over the subway. And a little bit over my Camilla Skovgaard heels! Damn it. I've got my arm around her supporting her as she's hunched over. My other arm has my computer bag and her big bag that must contain her kitchen sink.

"Oh shit. It hurts so damn much! This wasn't supposed to happen. Tray was supposed to be here. Where are we? What station?"

"We're at 14th Street. I'm taking you to St. Vincent's. It's right here. Can you make it up the steps?" Thank God St. V's was right around the corner. We were near the front of the train, so we would make it out the 12th street exit, right near the hospital. I pray she can make it, as all of the people here are hurrying to wherever it is they have to be, without paying this poor woman any mind.

"Yeah, I think I can make it. Can you please walk with me? I can't do it on my own."

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you to fend for yourself. I'm Sookie by the way. What's your name hon?" I figure since I'm helping this woman through the early stages of labor that she might as well know my name.

"Aaagh… Amelia. Sorry. _It Hurts_! Amelia Dawson."

"Well Amelia Dawson, it's a pleasure to meet you. Let's get you across the street to the hospital shall we?" We're moving very slowly, but as fast as poor Amelia can make it. As we're trying to cross the street I had to yell at a bike messenger who almost plowed us down. Come on, can't anyone offer to help?

We made it into the ED (emergency department) _finally_ and I managed to get Amelia into a wheelchair and brought her over to admissions. The lady seemed busy and didn't look up. I finally had to say something.

"Excuse me mam, but this woman was on the subway when her water broke. She's not due for 2 weeks and is in a lot of pain." That seemed to snap her into action and had her bounding around the counter quickly.

"Ok hon, you'll be in good hands. Who is your doctor?"

"Dr. Ludwig. She's out of St. Luke's Roosevelt. She's away at a _conference_!" Amelia gritted that last word out through what I can assume is another contraction.

"It's okay hon, we'll take good care of you here. We'll get you up to labor and delivery and get you checked out. Can your friend here give us some particulars?" The nurse looked up at me, and all I could think of was the proposal that needed to get out the door and the fact that I have known Amelia for all of 30 minutes.

"I'll take the forms with me and I can help Amelia fill them out while she's getting checked out. Would that be okay?" What kind of person would I be if I left this poor woman all by herself in painful labor (was there any other kind of labor?).

I walked alongside a nurse who was wheeling Amelia up to L&D when Amelia's trembling hand reached up and took mine. God this poor thing! About to have her baby and holding onto a stranger's hand. I couldn't leave her now.

"So Amelia, why don't you give me your phone? Is there anyone I can call for you? I know that Tray is overseas, but there must be someone in his command I can call. Is there any other family that I can call?"

"Yes. Yeah there is. Could you call my brother Eric? He's in the address book. Try him on his cell first and if you can't get him then call his office. His secretary will know how to get a hold of him. Thanks Sookie. I don't know what I would have done this morning without you!" She really was such a tough lady. I've never seen anyone in labor before, but she really seemed to be such a champ, and taking these weird circumstances in stride. Before I walked in the hall to make some calls she asked me to get her insurance card out of her wallet. I set it and the clipboard on the little stand next to the bed they had her in.

In the hallway I started scrolling through her address book and found the cell number for her brother Eric.

"Amelia, how are you feeling sis? How's the little bruiser?"

"Um, hi. It's not Amelia. My name is Sookie, and I'm with Amelia here at St. Vincent's downtown. She asked me to give you a call."

"Holy Shit, what's she doing there? Is everything okay with the baby? Did she get hurt? Who are you? How do you know Amelia?" I could understand he was stressed out about his sister, but really, so many questions!

"I was with Amelia on the subway this morning when her water broke. We were just pulling into 14th Street, so I managed to help her off and get her to the hospital. The doctors and nurses are working with her now, and she wanted me to call you and tell you what was going on. Is there any way you could come down here?"

"Shit, I'm in Connecticut heading to a meeting. I'll get the driver to turn around, but with all of the rush hour traffic, I don't know how long it will take for me to get back. Can I talk to her?"

"You know, right now she's got a lot of people all over her and I had to step out in the hall to call you. Why don't I call you back when she comes up for air and you can talk to her then? Okay?"

"Sure, sure. Your name again?"

"It's Sookie."

"Sookie, I'm Eric. Thanks so much for being there for Amelia. I really appreciate it. I'll wait to hear from you. Tell her I'm coming as fast as I can."

"Thanks Eric. Can you think of anyone else I can call for her?"

"No, I'll call our parents. They are in West Palm so they can't help much. Please, call me if anything happens before Amelia's ready to talk."

"I promise. Be careful. I'll call you soon."

I thought it was so sweet how concerned he sounded for his sister. I wish I was that close with Jason. We had our moments growing up, but ever since I moved to the "Big City" as he put it; things started to fall apart. He started calling me "Miss Corporate America" and thought that I thought I was too good for him and all of our friends from home in Massachusetts. He also was a bit pissed that since I moved to New York I finally took an interest in baseball and rooted for the Yankees instead of his beloved Red Sox. Boy those New Englanders really took their Sox pride to insane levels.

I found the number for Tray's unit command in the states and called them and asked them to get word to Tray that Amelia was in labor. I gave her cell phone number and asked them to please, please try and get him to call her.

I snuck back into the room and sat in a chair listening to the doctor go over stuff with Amelia. Right now it sounded like they were discussing the option of drugs. I wanted to raise my hand and say "me please!" This morning was getting to be a bit much. I thought I might like an epidural too until the doctor motioned to the tray that held one of the biggest freaking needles I have EVER seen in my life. I was scared shitless, and it wasn't coming anywhere near me.

The doctor turned to me and said "Are you her Lamaze partner?"

"Um no. No I'm not." I'm the person who gave up her seat on the subway and is now here when I should be… crap. I can't leave her. Not yet.

"Well, if you plan on staying then you're going to have to help Amelia by letting her rest on your shoulders while we administer the epidural. Otherwise we are going to have to ask you to leave while we do it."

"Amelia, I hope you don't mind, but I'd be more comfortable stepping outside for a moment."

"Oh. No. Go ahead. Just don't disappear on me please." A nurse stepped over by her at the side of the bed and took the position I was meant to. I just couldn't do it. That needle was _so_ long.

I took the opportunity to make some phone calls to the office and to check up on how the proposal was going, and to check my emails and voicemails. I called into my boss Felipe, and let him know what was happening. He was remarkably calm, but I knew that his brother Victor would be flipping out with the change in the proposal deadline. Felipe was willing to run interference if necessary. My next call was to Lafayette, the lead designer for the project. He was on it and managing all of the edits and the printing. He was cheeky, and over the top at times, but he really was good and had never missed a deadline before. I was feeling a little bit better about not being there and insisted that Lafayette send me the file as soon as it was ready for review.

I had been on the phone long enough for the anesthesiologist to come walking out of the room, so I walked back in to check on my new friend.

"So how are you feeling now?"

"It's starting to kick in a little bit. I don't feel like my insides are being ripped apart, just pressure. Did you get a hold of Eric?"

"I sure did. He wanted to talk to you but I told him you were knee-deep in doctors and nurses. He was on his way to a meeting in Connecticut, but was turning around. With rush-hour traffic he wasn't sure how soon he'd make it here, but he's on his way. I also called Tray's command and asked them to relay the message along to him and asked him to call asap. Now do you want to talk to Eric? Should we call him now?"

She shook her head. I took her phone out of my bag and redialed Eric's number and handed her the phone. It was very sweet to hear her end of the conversation. She was trying to settle him down. After a few minutes of talking and promising she'd try to wait until he got here, she handed me back the phone and asked for some ice chips. Apparently, that's all she was allowed to have. Boy did that suck!

It looked like we were going to be here for a while together, so I started to ask her how she and Tray met.

"Well, we'd have to thank my brother for that. Eric and Tray both played on the same hockey team down at Chelsea Piers. Eric had been after me to come and see the team play, and one day I gave in and went. They played and won that night. Eric said that the team was going down to Chelsea Brewing Company for some drinks and some food and I figured I'd go too. We were all having a great time that night, everyone buying round after round and as it was getting pretty crowded, I decided to step outside on the pier for a moment to catch some fresh air. Tray walked out after me and asked if he could keep me company. We stayed talking out there for a while. It got cold and he gave me his jacket to put on. Well, at the end of the night, I forgot I had it on and left! The poor guy was locked out of his apartment because I had his keys! He got my number from Eric and called. We ended up meeting at an all night diner and sat there talking until the sun started to rise."

"That sounds really sweet Amelia."

"Oh he was. He insisted on walking me home, and then stood on my stoop and kissed me. I knew then Sookie that he was the guy for me. There was just something about him. Something about the way he kissed. No one had ever kissed me like that before. And I felt so comfortable with him because Eric knew him. Not like some random guy that I'd hooked up with at the bar."

I wasn't one who really believed in love at first sight, but I am sure if she felt it, she experienced it. She started to flip through her phone to find a picture of him to show me. He was handsome in a rugged way. He seemed average height and had broad shoulders, wavy black hair and green eyes. He wasn't my type, but he certainly wasn't bad on the eyes either.

"He's really handsome Amelia."

"Thanks. That's before he had to cut his hair for Iraq."

"What branch?"

"He is in the Army Reserves. He did ROTC in college, served 2 years after graduating and then came to the City afterwards. He had thought that he was done, but he was reactivated last year and sent to the front. He doesn't want me to worry, so we don't talk about much of what he does over there."

"How long has he been gone?"

"Oh, 17 months now. They told him that his tour was 18, so only a couple more weeks to go!"

Okay – work with me here. If he's been gone for 16 months, and pregnancy took 9 months – so how was that possible? Amelia must have seen me trying to do the math in my head and laughed.

"Tray was home on leave for the holidays and we had a really nice reunion!" she said with a blush.

"That's great Amelia!" I said with a genuine smile. She started to shift uncomfortably in her bed. "I think you should try and get a little rest Amelia. You need your strength."

"That's easier said than done. But I think you're right. Why don't you tell me some stories about yourself Sookie?"

"Well, I don't know how exciting it will be, but I'll give it a go. I grew up in Massachusetts, in a small town on Cape Cod. It's full of people in the summer. So much that you almost can't move. But during the off season, it really quiets down. It was a nice place to grow up. I have an older brother Jason. He still lives there. How about you Amelia? Why don't you tell me about your family?" I really didn't want to get into the story of how my parents died when we were kids and how Gran took us in.

"Well, you've talked to my brother Eric. He's actually my step-brother. My mother and his father got together when we were still both really young. We've been together so long that I can't remember a time when he wasn't around. Mom and Dad live down in Florida, and have been begging Tray and I to move down after the baby is born. They want to be close to their grandson. That's not going to happen though."

"Did you grow up in Florida Amelia?" I wanted to keep her talking as she seemed to be doing a bit better when she was distracted.

"No, we lived in Chappaqua which is just north of the city. It was only when Eric and I were in college that Mom and Dad got the place in West Palm. It's been a great escape in the dead of winter, I'll tell you that."

"I can imagine. The winter here isn't much better than where I grew up. I've always been more of a summer girl. Although after a walk through the subway on a day like today, I might change my mind." I laughed and so did Amelia.

"Especially today right? I think you got more than you bargained for today Sookie."

"It certainly isn't your average morning commute!"

At that point, a nurse came in and checked the monitors attached to Amelia, and then checked to see how dilated she was.

"Good Girl. You're five centimeters. You're moving right along and it should be soon!" The nurse happily chirped while writing something down on her chart before leaving the room.

"So tell me Sookie. I don't see a ring on your finger. Is there anyone special for you?" Why did it feel like everyone was always checking out my hand to see if there was a ring on it? Like there was something wrong with being single?

"Um, no. I've never found Mr. Right. I've certainly had my fair share of Mr. Right Now… but no one like your Tray." She was looking at me with sad eyes. I hated that. "It's okay. There's no one special now. I've had my friend set me up on more than one disastrous date; so I've kind of decided that I'll just let things happen on their own without trying to force it. Does that make sense?"

"Yes." She replied with a grin. "Now tell me about your disastrous dates so it will take my mind off of my pain!"

"Oh God! I had a horrible one last night. John was my friend Pam's friend from the gym. He was a big strapping guy, with muscles bulging from just about everywhere. Well, we went out for dinner, and the conversation was a little slow and was difficult. He wasn't really easy to talk to; he went on and on about his workouts, what he ate and what exercises I needed to do if I wanted to um… if I wanted to tighten my ass."

"No!" Her hands went to her face and she was laughing. I could laugh about it now; but I distinctly remember the difficulty I had last night trying to keep myself from standing up and walking out then!

"Yeah, he went there. I run every day, and I know that doesn't solve it all, but really! Wait, it gets even better!" It felt good to get this off my chest. I could only imagine what Pam's response would be when I finally told her.

"Do tell!" Amelia was laughing and I was glad to be able to make her smile while going through labor.

"Well, after dinner, I tried feigning an early morning meeting that I needed to get home and get a good night's sleep for. He insisted on me going into the bar next door for a drink. I knew I should have just gone home but I went in with him because after that dinner I really wanted a good stiff drink. Turns out that he worked there part-time as a bouncer and needed to show up to work! Who does that when they're having a date? Here's the clincher though, some redhead came up to him screaming because he walked in with me. She threw a beer at him, and the jerk had the nerve to pull me in front of him so I took the brunt of it!"

Amelia looked horrified, but I couldn't tell if it was because she couldn't believe the nerve of the man, or if she wanted to laugh and thought she shouldn't.

"Oh God Sookie; if I had had a date like that, I think I might start up with women!" I liked Amelia. She was funny, and had the ability to be funny when in a lot of pain. I had to laugh.

"Yeah. I'm not ready to start with women, but I definitely am not looking forward to dating anytime soon based on that experience. If I wasn't on that date, I wouldn't have believed how bad it truly went. I'm not sure that I'll ever come across someone who will be the one for me. Right now I'd settle for someone who didn't tell me I needed to firm up, and who didn't get me covered in beer."

"Such high standards. Are you still friends with Pam?"

"In fact I saw her this morning. She's a friend of mine from college." She was definitely going to owe me one. I just didn't have the heart to tell her this morning when she was so stressed. "So tell me Amelia, where do you live?"

"Oh, Tray and I live on 75th and Columbus."

"Right near the museum, how fantastic! What a great location."

"We love it. How about you Sookie? Where do you live?"

"I'm on 85th between West End & Riverside."

"Ooh, what a nice street. Right near the river. My brother loves Riverside Park. He's right near there. I'm a Central Park gal since that's a little closer." It never ceases to amaze me that if you are east of Broadway, you rarely make it over to Riverside Park. And if you are west of Broadway, Riverside Park is your backyard.

"I love Riverside. I go running there every morning." It's at that moment that Amelia's phone rings. It sounds like she is talking to her parents. Yup. I can hear her telling her mom not to worry. It sounds like she's getting on one of the next flights out. Amelia starts to grimace, and I can tell that it must be another contraction coming on. This doesn't look fun. I get up and hold her hand and rub it and tell her that she can do it. She's dropped the phone and I can hear her mother on the other end calling for her. Within a moment Amelia got back on the phone breathing a little heavier, but convincing her mom that she was doing just fine.

I thought I'd give them a little privacy and went out in the hall to check my email and voicemail. I had the new draft of the proposal from Lafayette, comments from Felipe, and a whole host of other emails requesting materials and setting up times for meetings. It's amazing how many emails I get in a day. How did people work before email? (I'm being sarcastic here.) Speaking of work, I was beginning to feel guilty that I had left Lafayette and the team in a bit of a lurch, despite his reassurances to the contrary. Turning my attention to voicemail, I had a message from Pam, a message from my cleaning lady asking to reschedule and a few work-related messages. After listening to them all, I decided to head back into Amelia's room to find her in tears.

"Amelia, are you in pain? What's wrong?"

"I miss him so much. He was supposed to be here. I don't want to seem ungrateful, I'm so glad to have met you, but Tray should be here with me for this!" She managed to get out before sobbing again.

I walked over to the edge of the bed and took her hand in mine, and with the other hand I rubbed her hair. It was as comforting a gesture I could think of with a near stranger.

"So tell me more about Tray. You said you knew he was the one for you right away. How long did you date for? When did you get married? How big of a family are you hoping for?" Through sniffles she started to respond.

"Oh, we were inseparable after that night, or morning at the diner. I met him for dinner that night. I'd watch him at practice and at games. He came down to meet my parents for the holidays. I had pretty much started living at his place within six weeks, even though we never really talked about it. I had just as much clothing and makeup at his place as I did at my own. I spent every night there. I just hated to be away from him, and he hated to be away from me. Don't get me wrong, I still had nights where I went out with the girls and he went out with the guys. For the most part though, we just found that we were happier together. Some of our friends thought we were rushing into it. My brother gave me a tough time too, even though he knew Tray from hockey. He just didn't want to see me get hurt.

Tray asked me to marry him after dating for about eight months. We were in the park for Opera in the Park and we had a blanket spread out and some wine, some dinner. It was a beautiful night. We were supposed to meet up with some friends, but the crowd was so huge that we just couldn't find each other despite going to our pre-arranged spot. He was so sweet. He poured a glass of wine for me and told me how lucky he was to have found me. He told me that he felt like he was finally complete, and couldn't imagine life without me. He pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him and I screamed! I was so thrilled."

"Oh Amelia, that sounds so romantic." How sweet. To see her face as she was telling the story, you could see how in love she was. She just glowed. And through all of the pain, and the drugs and the labor to be glowing, I was impressed.

"We got married a few months later. We managed to get a cancelled date at the Bryant Park Grill, which was a dream location for me. So we managed to pull it together quickly. That was 3 years ago. When Tray got reactivated for the guard, I thought it would kill me. I couldn't imagine being without him. But I've gotten used to it. I'm just so excited he's almost home for good."

I looked at the clock and was shocked to see that it was after 11:00. The morning goes by fast when you end up meeting someone in labor on the subway. And when you are cool. The hospital was air-conditioned, so it made everything easier. At least for me. I stepped out into the hallway because it was time for the doctor to come back in and check Amelia again. I thought I should give them their privacy. I've been through a lot with Amelia this morning, but I don't think that she needed me to see the doctor sticking his hand up where the sun doesn't shine.

I was pacing back and forth in the hallway on the phone again with Lafayette when I saw a really tall, blonde, handsome and well-dressed man racing down the hall in my direction. I absentmindedly wondered who the lucky mom-to-be was. He raced up to the nurse's station and asked for Amelia's room. This must be Eric. I walked up beside him and reached out for his arm.

"Excuse me, are you Eric?"

"Yes. You must be Sookie. Where's Amelia? How is she?" He looked down at me with relief in his eyes.

"Yes. And don't worry. You made it in time. The doctor is just in checking with her right now. She was in a lot of pain when we first got here, but they have given her some pain meds, and she seems to be doing well. Why don't you wait out here with me and then we can go in when they're done? Okay?"

"I don't know how to begin thanking you for what you have done today for my sister. I didn't think that there were any good-hearted people left here in the city." He ran his hand through his hair absentmindedly. I motioned for him to follow me towards Amelia's room.

"Oh, it was nothing really. How could I not help? Besides, I'm starting to really like your sister. She's funny, easy to talk to and a good listener. All while she's in labor. I can only imagine what she's like when she's on the top of her game!" He laughed. God what a laugh. He gave me a little smile and then we walked into Amelia's room.

"Look who's here Amelia!" I proudly said as I entered the room first. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her brother. I couldn't blame her. I couldn't imagine if I were in her shoes how I'd be feeling.

I could tell that they had much to talk about and I knew I needed to get over to the office to help out on the proposal, so I used the opportunity to say my goodbyes and them some privacy. Amelia wouldn't hear of it.

"Please don't leave me Sookie. I know that I just met you, but I never would have been able to make it this far if it weren't for you. It wouldn't feel right if you left now. Will you stay here until the baby comes? I'm 9 centimeters now, you can't leave so close to the end."

She looked up at me with big puppy-dog eyes. Ugh! I knew I couldn't say no. Eric was holding her hand and rubbing circles on the back of it absentmindedly. He offered me a smile. I couldn't help but smile back at the two of them.

"I won't leave you Amelia. Are you sure that you don't want some time alone with each other?"

"No need Sookie." Amelia started to say something else but then was caught by a huge contraction and started squeezing Eric's hand so hard he actually yelped. I stifled a giggle that this big man was yelping.

"Have they all been that bad Amelia?" He asked her.

"They haven't been a walk in the park Eric, let's put it that way." With that, the nurse came in to check on Amelia again. Eric and I walked over to the windows together and looked down on the busy avenue below.

"I can't believe this is happening today. I thought that the little man would hold on until his dad made it back home." Eric was staring ahead out the window. "Amelia looks like she's holding up pretty well." I nodded in agreement. "So you really just met her today?"

"Yes. Believe it or not we met because I gave her my seat on the subway. We were making small talk when her water broke. I've never known anyone else who's been in labor before, but she's been doing great. I've had her laughing a bit to try and get her mind off of things. She did have a moment earlier where she was really missing Tray, but I think talking about him helped. She told me you are the reason they met."

"Yeah, we play hockey in the same league down at Chelsea Piers. He's a good guy. It's a shame that they recalled him. We'll all be glad when he's home for good."

"Okay everyone." The nurse announced. "It's time for our mommy to start pushing. The doctor will be back in a minute. Will you both be staying for the birth?" Eric said yes immediately.

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous. Was I really doing this? I didn't really know her. This is such a private moment, probably best left between Amelia and her brother.

"I think Amelia would understand if you'd like to go now." Eric offered. Could he sense my indecision? Amelia shouted from the bed.

"Like hell you're going! You can't leave me now!" I guess that settled it. I was staying.

We were instructed to both go up to Amelia's head, one of us on either side of her and take her hand. That was good, because I really didn't want to see what was going on down below if I could help it. It would appear that her brother felt the same way.

The next 20 minutes were spent with me and Eric giving Amelia words of encouragement, and alternating between holding her hands, and being asked to hold up her feet. She complained about the stirrups. She was such a champ. I couldn't imagine having to pass something so big, through an opening so small. I tell you, if they showed a film of childbirth in our science classes in high school, then I bet you Crystal Norris never would have gotten pregnant her junior year.

"Okay Amelia." The doctor was preparing her. "You are really close. It's going to be a few more pushes now before we meet your child. Do you know what you are having?"

"Yes. I'm having a little boy."

"Well mom, give me some good pushes so we can all meet your little boy!"

The grunting was incredible. She swore up a storm, but as soon as the doctor said he saw the head, it seemed like the pain went away and Amelia was really focused. I know that the whole ordeal had kind of put me off earlier on, but it really seemed like something so amazing was taking place. I was in awe. Minutes later, her baby boy was born. 2:12 pm, August 5th Calvin Thomas Dawson was born. He had all 10 fingers; all 10 toes. He was 21" long, and weighed 8 lbs, 4oz. Amelia asked me if I would take some pictures of them. I took some with Amelia's phone to send to Tray. I took some with Eric's phone to send of the three of them together and of Eric and Calvin together. And then, with my phone, Eric took a picture of me holding Calvin. I was so honored. The nurses had already weighed and measured Calvin, and put that shiny goop on his eyes, but they said they needed to take him for a few minutes. The doctors needed to finish up some stuff with Amelia, and I really didn't want to know what.

I took that opportunity to step outside and call the office. I spoke with Lafayette, who told me the team was able to get the proposal out the door; and that Felipe and Victor were looking for me though and wanted to see me ASAP. Lafayette had asked me about what was keeping me out of the office since it was so unlike me to not be around when there was a deadline to be met. He couldn't believe it when I told him, so I said I would send the picture. I knew he would be shocked. I was shocked too truth be told. I told him that I would say my goodbyes and make my way into the office now that the baby was born.

As I made my way back to the room, I saw Eric holding his nephew, cradling him in his arms and talking baby talk to him. I couldn't help but smile. Oh I could have just melted. I think I might have.

"There you are." I was in my own little world and was surprised when Eric noticed me.

"Hey there. That was really amazing wasn't it?"

"It was. Amelia was incredible. Calvin, he's just awesome!" He looked down at the baby with a smile.

A nurse came and said she needed to take Calvin again for another few tests. Eric gave me an excited hug and said he needed to step outside to call their parents. Amelia turned her head to us and smiled. She sure looked tired, but she looked much better than I would expect someone to look who just had a baby. And her grin was huge. Apparently while I was outside calling the office, Amelia got one of her own. From Tray. She gushed on and on about Tray; how excited he was and that he saw the pictures that Eric emailed him. Amelia said that everything was still on track for him to come home in two weeks. She told me that they were going to be moving her shortly to the post-partum floor, and would bring Calvin up to her once she got there.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to try and take a little nap before they bring Calvin back to me. I don't think I'll be getting much sleep after that. It's not that I don't appreciate all you've done, but I really need a little sleep."

"No problem Amelia. I need to be heading out anyway. You know, you really were amazing today. And Calvin; I don't think I've ever seen someone so perfect. He is truly amazing."

"He is isn't he? Sookie, I don't know how I can ever thank you enough. Truly, I never would have made it without your help today. You'll stop back again won't you?"

"Sure Amelia. If I can't make it back later, I'll stop by tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing that handsome little son of yours again. I still think you should have named him Sookie." I told her with a laugh. Hey, how better to remember the complete stranger who helped get you to the hospital and stayed with you all day? I really wouldn't want that for a boy. He'd get beaten up on the playground, but it was still fun to tease her.

"Maybe the next one. Thanks Sookie. I'll see you later." I tucked her in her blankets and headed out the door. Eric was still on the phone and I didn't want to disturb him as I was heading out. I gave him a wave, which he returned with a big smile and then I made my way to the elevators.

Ugh. It was downright oppressive outside. You could see the heat rising from the street. It didn't take me long to wish that I was back in the air conditioned hospital again. As I walked down 14th Street towards the office, I couldn't help but think back to everything that happened today. I had never seen anyone giving birth before and I was truly amazed by how strong and brave Amelia was. I don't know how I would handle it if my husband wasn't around. I then found myself remembering watching Eric cradle Calvin in his arms. I smiled at the memory of him making little cooing noises. He really was a great brother. He dropped everything he was doing to be by his sister's side when she needed him. I found myself wishing that Jason could be a little bit more like that.

The ringing of my phone brought me out of my daydreaming. It was the office.

"I'm about two blocks away. I'll be there in five."

"You sure better doll. They're lookin' for you."

"Thanks Lafayette!"

I hung up and picked up the pace back to the office. Not a minute after walking in the office I was slammed with work. There was a presentation for with the proposal that went out earlier today and it needed major re-working. There were hours and hours worth of redesign, revisions and discussions. It was 10:00 before I slipped into a cab and headed for home. Obviously, I never made it back to the hospital to see Amelia. There was always tomorrow.

_Disclaimer, since I forgot it at the top… Charlaine Harris owns the SVM and all characters therein._


	2. Chapter 2

Many thanks again to _peppermintyrose_ for reviewing the chapter for me!

Disclaimer - Charlaine Harris owns the SVM

**Doing the Right Thing – Chapter 2**

Six thirty came way too early for my liking this morning. I wanted to hit the snooze button and sneak a few more minutes of sleep in, but I knew that really wouldn't do me any good. Begrudgingly I got up out of bed and got dressed to go for my morning run. I didn't see Pam this morning, which was a good thing. I don't think her body could handle the shock of being up and running two mornings in a row.

Four miles later and I was back in the apartment getting ready for work. I checked my messages as I was getting dressed and thankfully there were no surprises like yesterday. Seeing as how I left the office last night at ten, I was counting on it.

As I made my way to West End, I saw all of the traffic and realized that even if I could find a cab, the subway was a better option for me this morning. I stopped into the corner deli and grabbed a bottle of cold water for the ride as I was sure I'd need it. The morning commute was like most others as of late; crowded, hot and this morning to top it all off it was slow. The train was crawling. It made me think about my ride in yesterday. I wanted to go and check in on Amelia and Calvin today. Maybe I could sneak out later this morning for a little bit. I should also stop and pick up a gift for little Calvin.

I stopped at Starbucks on my way in and got coffee for Lafayette and for me. I owed him at least that for stepping up yesterday with the Citigroup proposal when I wasn't around.

"Ooh girlfriend! Did you get me a Venti Java Chip Frappuccino with extra crème?"

"I did. Just for you."

"You're too good to me!"

"It's the least I could do. Seriously Laf, I don't know how you can drink that. I think it would put me into a sugar coma if I drank half of it."

"Breakfast of champions sugar. It's the breakfast of champions. Now enough playing around, Victor wanted to see you the second you got in. I'm surprised he isn't out here already. It's like he's got some kind of Sookie sonar or something."

"I'll head in as soon as I put my stuff down. No rest for the weary I guess."

If there was any reason that I would want to look for another job, it would be Victor. I really didn't like him. I didn't trust him either. I thought he was a weasel. He took every opportunity possible to take the credit for other people's successes and was quick to blame others for any perceived failure of his own. He would criticize people loudly in front of others. I preferred to save any criticisms for behind closed doors. There was no need to publically embarrass people in my opinion. He also always seemed to need something from me. I think it probably had to do with the fact that I was good at my job and that made him look good. I grabbed my notebook and headed down towards Victor's office. He had a corner office that looked out over Fifth Avenue. I found him with his feet up on the credenza behind his desk, smooth-talking someone on the phone. I think I just felt my skin crawl.

He didn't acknowledge that I walked in. I just took a seat and waited until he was off the phone.

"Sookie, I'm so glad that you were able to join us today. How nice of you to grace us with your presence."

"Victor, I was in contact with Felipe yesterday multiple times and was in touch with Lafayette as well. I coordinated work remotely and then returned to the office as soon as I could. We worked on the presentation last night until it was perfect. Was that what you wanted to see me for?" I really didn't want to put up with him trying to imply that I didn't do my job or left them in the lurch. Although I know they pay me to be here, we handled things just fine with me being out of the office for a good chunk of the day.

"But of course Sookie. And yes, I wanted to see you about the presentation. You will be coming with us to the client."

I had attended client presentations before, but usually it was if I had something to contribute to the presentation. Felipe had never mentioned this to me.

"That's fine, but Felipe hadn't mentioned that he wanted me to go. When is it?"

"We'll be heading downtown at 3:15. The meeting is at four. Have Lafayette make all of the bound copies and give them to Arlene."

I nodded my head and was happy to be out of his office. I always felt like I needed to take a shower after spending any time with him.

After taking care of some emails and making sure that everything was on track with our other projects, I decided that I would sneak out to find a baby gift for Calvin. I went into a little store in the neighborhood that I'd passed before and picked up some gifts. I found a plush classic Pooh Bear that looked as big as Calvin himself and a beautifully hand-knit sweater and matching hat. It may have been hot as heck outside, but the man at the store told me that all newborns need hats. He placed everything in a decorative bag for me and I was on my way to the hospital.

I found my way to Amelia's room on the post-partum floor and knocked gently on her door before going in.

"Come in!" Amelia called from her bed. I opened the door and found her nursing Calvin. She looked tired, but was smiling and seemed genuinely happy to see me.

"Hey there you two! How are you getting on?"

"We're doing great Sookie. Thanks for coming back. We thought we might have seen you last night. Eric had wanted to thank you again for taking such good care of me."

"Yeah, I got stuck at the office working on a presentation until 10. How's the little man? I brought something for him."

"Come put it here on the bed and I'll look at it when I'm done. I'm wondering if I'm doing this right." She was motioning to Calvin and I assumed she was talking about feeding him. "He seems to want to eat all the time. This handsy nurse came in to show me how to do it yesterday and I still don't know what the hell I'm doing. She was grabbing and pulling at me and opening the little guy's mouth and got him to eat. Ugh, I get him on here and he falls asleep."

"You'll figure it out Amelia. After all, you've been doing this for a little less than 24 hours. You'll both get used to it."

We sat talking for a little bit while Calvin was still eating. I learned that her parents had bought tickets and were flying up tonight to see her and meet their grandson. And, even better she said was that Tray was able to call her again. She was so happy he actually got to hear Calvin making noises and crying. I was amazed by how much she did all on her own. When Calvin was finally done eating, Amelia asked me if I would like to hold him while she opened the bag I brought. I was happy to. He was such a teeny little thing; so warm and soft and I just loved to hold him. Amelia took the Pooh bear and put him in Calvin's small bassinet. She thanked me for the sweater and hat. She told me they were his first gifts since he had been born.

My phone started to ring. It was the office.

"Amelia, I'm sorry I have to take this. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." I handed Calvin back to her.

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"Sookie it's Arlene. I just got the bound copies of the presentation and Victor said that he needs to make a change."

"Sure Arlene, I'll be by your desk in about 10 minutes."

Arlene was a very unnatural redhead who was Victor's assistant. She had been with the company for many years and after a rumored affair with Victor wound up as his assistant. I felt bad for her as she seemed like a puppy waiting for Victor to notice her most of the time.

"Amelia, I'm sorry but I really have to get back to work."

"It's a shame you can't stay any longer. You'll miss Eric. I can't stand this hospital food so he said he'd run out and get me a proper lunch. He should be back any minute. In fact, I thought you were him at first."

"I wish I could stay and keep you and Calvin company a little longer, but I've really got to run." I bent over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I wish you could too Sookie. I'm getting out of here tomorrow, so at least I won't be cooped up. Maybe when I get settled and get used to having this little guy around we can meet for lunch?"

"I'd like that Amelia." I handed one of my business cards to Amelia and then left to make my way back to the office. At least Eric was headed back to visit, so I wouldn't feel as guilty about leaving her. Funny how I could feel guilty about leaving someone that I just met to go back to work. I guess once you help someone give birth you feel a little protective of them.

I made it back to work quickly and got the team to work on the changes to the presentation. It was just like Victor to make changes just for the sake of making changes. I stopped into Felipe's office.

"Felipe, I wasn't expecting to go with you guys today to the presentation. Victor told me this morning."

"Sorry Sookie. Victor thought we really needed to make a good show of it with all of the management team there." I thought it was funny that he wasn't making eye contact with me.

"Felipe, what's going on?" I'd known Felipe for years when we were both starting out in the business. We became friends while we worked our way through the ranks together before Felipe left to go into business with Victor. So I could tell that he was holding something back.

"Victor seems to think that having an attractive blond female executive with us at the presentation will help us score points."

"Felipe, you know that I can't stand it when I'm the token woman. I mean really, I'm more than a pair of boobs and long legs."

"I know it Sookie and you know it Sookie. You've earned your title and then some; but this could be a huge deal for us. Please, just come along. It won't hurt having you there."

"Ugh. You know I'll go Felipe."

"Atta girl. I owe you one. How about some Yankees tickets for the series against the Sox that's coming up in a couple of weeks?"

"I can be convinced. Are you coming, or are they both mine?"

"They're both yours Stackhouse."

I left his office smiling and thinking that perhaps I'd give Jason a call and see if he was interested in coming down to catch the game with me. It would be tough since he was a card-carrying member of the Red Sox nation and I certainly was rooting for the Yanks; but after seeing Amelia and Eric together yesterday I thought that reaching out to my own brother to try and rebuild our relationship might be in order. I'd think more on that later since the game for the tickets I was now holding was two weeks away.

We made it down to Citigroup in plenty of time for the presentation and as expected my role consisted of sitting at the table looking interested and serious. The presentation lasted a little over an hour and I thought it went pretty well. Felipe looked pleased and Victor, well, he looked like he always does.

It took a week, but we finally heard from Citigroup that our company won the work. Felipe and Victor were over the moon and insisted on taking everyone who worked on the project out for drinks to celebrate. We wound up going to Bar Veloce that was in walking distance from the office. I called in Pam to come too. We had planned on meeting up after work tonight anyway. She always liked going to these things because she enjoyed Lafayette's company and she _loved_ giving Victor crap. He hit on her relentlessly and never understood that no means no. Pam was ruthless with him and he seemed to eat it up as if it was some prolonged part of foreplay.

Lafayette was in the middle of a story about his latest and greatest boyfriend, Andre when Pam came in. Lafayette always made me laugh because he was as bad as a teenage girl; he fell in love as often as he changed his shoes. He definitely believed in Mr. Right Now. Trouble was, he never saw it that way.

"Hello there sexy girl." Lafayette purred to Pam.

"Darling, need I remind you that I am not a girl. I am very much a woman?" She gave Lafayette a kiss on each cheek before sitting down next to us at the bar and ordering a grey goose and tonic.

"Ah, this is better." She said taking a long draw of her drink. "I swear that woman is batshit crazy. She drives me to drink! Aagh. I tell you I've brought that woman at least 20 outfits to try on for the MTV Movie Awards and not a one of them work. She tells me they're not fucking sexy enough. I think I might quit. Some guy must have been playing with her head because now she thinks if she's not hanging out of her clothes on both ends that it's not sexy."

Pam's been working as a wardrobe stylist for a pop singer for a while now. I've wondered how she's managed to put up with the demands and attitude for so long. It seems like perhaps she's finally had enough.

"Damn, I saw what she was wearing last week when she was on Letterman. She's giving hookah chic a whole new meaning."

"Shut up Lafayette!" Pam swatted at him before turning to talk with me. "So my dear; distract me from my misery. Who are we going to entertain tonight?" Pam scanned around the room to see who was here. Entertain was Pam's way of saying find someone to flirt with shamelessly all night and perhaps a little more.

"You know Pam, I'm just not interested in finding someone to entertain this evening. Let's just have fun together." I truly wasn't interested in hooking up with someone tonight. It's not something that I would ever do at a work function but on top of it, I couldn't find myself really interested.

Victor chose that moment to slither up to the three of us.

"Lafayette, Sookie you guys really did a great job. There'll be a bonus in each of your next checks for all of your hard work." Our eyes got wide. Not only did Victor actually compliment us and acknowledge that we contributed to the group effort but he said he was giving us a bonus too? We then rolled our eyes at one another realizing that it was an effort to impress Pam.

"Pamela, you look ravishing as ever." Victor went to take her hand and kiss it. Who the heck did that these days?

"Victor you sleazy little twit. I'd say it was good to see you but I really don't like to lie." She smiled icily toward him and turned back to me and to Lafayette. Victor pretended that he was being called to the other end of the bar and left us alone. That was pretty quick for Victor.

We laughed quietly and ordered another round.

Too many rounds later and Lafayette, Pam and I poured ourselves into a cab and headed back uptown. I dropped Pam and Lafayette off at her place on 70th and Broadway before heading home. It was 2am by the time I washed my face and crawled into bed.

The alarm was loud and obnoxious the next morning. I really wanted to throw it across the room. But, given all I drank last night I knew the best thing for me was to hydrate and get out and run.

It was so bright even at 6:45 in the morning. The light hurt my eyes and I was hiding behind my shades with my head down as I ran. Prodigy's _Firestarter _was blaring in my ears as I made my way down Riverside Park along the river. At least there was a breeze off of the water this morning. I was trudging along a little slower than I normally did when I found myself tangled up with a really beautiful looking dog and its leash. After letting out a little swear because I really didn't see the dog coming, I gave the dog a pat and looked up to find its owner. Imagine my surprise to see Amelia's brother Eric running up after the dog.

"Moxie, Moxie! Get back here!"

"Eric. How are you?"

"Hi Sookie. I'd be better if Moxie here understood that this wasn't Florida and she needed to stay on her leash."

"It looks to me as if she's got her leash." She had part of her leash dangling in her mouth.

"Yes, she does doesn't she? How are you? How have you been?" He took the dog's leash out of her mouth and leaned against the railing. I couldn't help but notice as he stretched.

"I'm good thanks. A little worse for wear this morning, but outside of that I'm good. What kind of dog is she?"

"Moxie's a German Short Hair Pointer. My parents brought her up last week and the hotel won't let her stay, so she's bunking with me for the time being."

"She's beautiful." I bent over to pet her again and was rewarded with a sloppy lick. "So how are Amelia and Calvin?"

"They're doing great. Well, Amelia seems pretty tired, but I believe that's to be expected. Calvin is amazing. He eats and sleeps pretty much all of the time, but he's already gotten bigger."

"Oh, that's great. Please tell her I have been thinking about her."

"I, she, I know she's been thinking of you too. She's wanted to call but she's been tired and with our parents in town she hasn't had much time to breathe." He ran his hands through his hair.

"No problem."

"Um, a leaf blew into your hair." Eric reached over to me and his hand went to my hair. He held the small leaf in front of me with a smile before letting it float to the ground. I couldn't help but notice that for a large man his touch was quite gentle.

"Well, I should get going. My heart rate is slowing down and I've got a few more miles to go before I can head back."

Eric opened his mouth as if to say something but then stopped himself.

"You're headed down further?" He asked.

"Yup, down to the Intrepid and then back up."

"Oh." He ran his hand through his hair again. "I promise to keep Moxie on a little tighter lead. It was great to see you Sookie. Maybe I'll see you soon?"

"See you soon." He ran off in his direction and I ran off in mine. I noticed that I ran with a little more spring in my step after seeing Eric and Moxie.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Thanks again to _peppermintyrose_! I really appreciate all of your help. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to review or alert this story. I appreciate that too. Charlaine Harris owns the SVM.**

**Doing the Right Thing – Chapter 3**

Things had been quite busy during the week since we had been awarded the Citigroup deal. I had spent lots of time in kick-off meetings, team meetings and at the client site meeting with Stan Davis, who was my lead client contact for the job. It had been so busy that I never did get a chance to call Jason and invite him to the Yanks/Sox game that had crept up on me. The game was tonight and I was wondering who I should take with me. Pam was away in St. Bart's on a photo shoot for Calvin Klein so she was out. Lafayette was someone who I know I'd have fun with, but he had a 'hot' date for tonight. He was meeting a new friend at Splash Bar. Potential nookie won out over a ball game with a gal pal any day. I could appreciate that. I was just thinking who else might be fun to go with when the phone rang.

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"Stan Davis." He thought that was a funny way to reply every time I answered the phone.

"Hey there Stan. How did you know that I was starting to miss you? I think it's been what, 90 minutes since I've spoken to you last?"

Stan was a really nice guy. We've been talking so much this past week trying to get stuff underway I feel like I should have a dedicated phone line just for him. It was about the third straight late night of work down at his offices when we started trading stories about ourselves. Lafayette certainly had the most colorful stories, but hearing Stan's story he grew on me after that. He was originally from Texas and was full of southern charm. It seemed genuine.

"It's actually been 95, but who's counting?"

I laughed. I've worked on some projects with some really tough clients before. From the way things were shaping up with this project, it looked like it would be a pleasure.

"So whatchya need?"

"Eh, just wanted to let you know that we've got to reschedule tomorrow's concept review meeting. Turns out we've got a big systems upgrade on this end that requires everyone's attention and resources so we need to shuffle until Monday. Is that okay for your team?"

"That will work fine. I'll let everybody know. I'm sure they'll love the extra time to work on the concepts. That so rarely happens."

"I can imagine. It's disappointing though because now I don't know how I will get my Starbucks fix." Lafayette and I had taken to bringing Stan down a coffee when we went to his office. Lafayette was trying to convert Stan to his Java Chip Frappuccino obsession but Stan wouldn't bite, er drink. He was a straight up iced coffee type of guy and depending on the hour he'd take an extra shot of espresso in it. Just like me.

"I think you'll survive for one day Stan. If not, I'm sure you can bribe Diantha to help you out. I don't know her well, but that girl seems like she has caffeine running through her veins instead of blood."

He laughed on the other end. Diantha was one of his coworkers who spoke a mile a minute and was always moving. She would pace during our meetings or if she was sitting she was constantly tapping her feet, a pen on the table or drumming her fingers.

"Just when I was contemplating a Java Chip."

"I'll be sure to tell Lafayette."

"Tell Lafayette what sugar?" Good God that man had super human hearing!

"It's Stan. He's thinking of having a Java Chip Frappuccino."

"Ha!"

"Get back to work!" I threw a block of post-it notes out the door of my office in hopes to hit him. My arm wasn't good enough, it was a miserable throw. Throwing got me thinking of the game tonight and I figured why not ask Stan.

"Hey Stan, I know it's last minute and all but I've got an extra ticket to the Yanks/Sox game tonight compliments of Felipe. Are you up for coming?"

"You guys have good seats?"

"Can't complain. They're on the wall in left field. Felipe once caught a home run off of Posada while sitting there."

"Hell yeah then. Count me in. Thanks Sookie."

"No worries. So why don't you meet me at the bar in Bryant Park and we'll grab a quick drink before we head over."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be there by six or so. That okay?"

"See you then Stan."

Great. So now I had someone to catch the game with tonight. That took care of that. Now for that Lafayette, the sassy thing.

The team was thrilled to learn that we had extra time to present our ad concepts to the Citigroup team. I loved watching the creative process at work. These guys may look like they are goofing off, but they're really just getting the creative juices flowing. After Stan's call, the rest of the day passed by rather quickly.

I left the office just after five-thirty, because during rush hour you never knew how long it would take to get to midtown. I got up to the bar a little bit before six and ordered a beer. I was surprised when I was able to get a seat since it was such a beautiful day. I guess most people hadn't left the office yet.

I checked my blackberry quickly and grabbed my beer for a sip when I heard,

"I'll have what she's having."

I looked up expecting to find Stan, but saw Eric instead.

"Eric, it's good to see you. How's everyone doing?"

"It's good to see you Sookie." He smiled as he sat down on the stool beside me. "Everyone's doing well. Amelia's still tired; Calvin doesn't sleep for too many hours straight. Our parents are hanging around until Tray comes home in a few days to continue to help her out."

"Tray's coming home soon, she must be so excited."

"She is. I just think she's too tired to show it right now."

"Poor thing. It's good she's got your parents to help."

"They're having fun, first grandchild and all. So Sookie, I've been wondering," He was cut off mid sentence.

"Hey there you are Sookie! Sorry I'm late. Can I tell you how much I hate the subway?"

I turned my head around and saw Stan bounding towards us. He had his suit jacket off and his sleeves rolled up, looking a little bit disheveled. I saw a Yankees hat in his hand along with his laptop bag.

"You're not late Stan, it's not a problem." He came up and put his bag and his hat down at the bottom of my stool. "I'm sorry. What were you saying Eric before I interrupted?"

"What was I saying?" He asked.

"You were wondering?"

Eric glanced at Stan for a moment.

"Oh. Right. Um... I was wondering if the Yanks were going to win tonight."

"Hey Sookie, do I have time for a beer before we go?"

"Sure thing. Stan, I'd like to introduce you to Eric Northman. Eric, this is Stan Davis." Eric smiled, but I noticed it was different than the one earlier.

"Pleased to meet you Stan. I don't want to keep you."

"Nonsense. We're just catching a quick beer before the game." Stan replied cheerily.

"It should be a great game." Eric offered.

"Only if the Yanks win this time." The last time the Yanks & Sox met up, the Sox took two out of three games at Fenway. Jason made sure to call and rub it in. Hourly.

"Well, I better get going. I see the guy I was waiting for across the bar. And you guys don't want to miss the first pitch." He looked at me and gave me a small smile before saying, "It was good to see you again Sookie."

"It was good to see you too Eric. Give my best to Amelia."

"Thanks. I will." I watched him walk across the bar and greet his friend.

{88888}

Stan and I wound up having a great time at the game. It helped that last night the Yanks pulled out a win. We laughed and drank over-priced beers and ate over-priced food. We talked a bit about work and the different people that we both worked with. We talked a little bit about our lives too. Stan had asked for advice for a first date. He said he finally got up the nerve to ask a girl that he'd seen a lot in his office building and he had no idea where to take her or what to do. I loved the fact that he was kinda shy about it. It seemed like all the good ones were taken. I told him he should take her to dinner and then one of the concerts in the park.

It was getting late in the day and my mind was already thinking of the weekend and all of the stuff I needed to catch up on since I'd had so many late nights at the office this week. I was a bit distracted when the phone rang.

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"Hi Sookie, it's Amelia."

"Amelia! It's good to hear from you. How are you? How's little Calvin?"

"I'm sorry I haven't called sooner. I know it's pretty rude of me to blow off the person who helped deliver my baby."

"Pfft. Nonsense. You've got a lot on your plate."

"That's kind of an understatement! Thanks for understanding though; I'm usually a much better friend. But Calvin's doing great. I can't believe it's been almost three weeks. You should see him, he's gotten _huge_!"

"I can imagine!" I could hear the baby starting to fuss in the background.

"Oh, well I was calling because Tray is coming home and we're having a welcome home party for him next week. He asked if you could come. He wants to meet the woman who helped me when he couldn't."

"That's so sweet! Sure Amelia. I'd love to come. It would be great to see you and Calvin again and I'd love to meet Tray."

"Great. We're having a big shindig in your neck of the woods actually. We'll be having the party down at the Boat Basin. It's Thursday night at 7. I hope you can make it. And if there's someone you'd like to bring, please feel free."

"I'll be there Amelia. Thanks for thinking of me."

"I'm not the only one."

Lafayette started doing a dance outside my office door to get my attention.

"Well thank Tray then too. Listen, I've got to run. I'll see you Thursday. Bye."

"Hey sug, who you talking to? Ready to go get a drink?"

"Amelia and absolutely."

{88888}

I met up with Pam on Sunday morning to hear all about her trip to St. Bart's. She was absolutely bubbling about the shoot and I can't remember the last time I've seen her so excited about work. Well that's not true; she was practically frantic after her shoot with Johnny Depp. I couldn't really blame her on that occasion.

We met at Good Enough to Eat and by the time the food came we were already two mimosas into the brunch.

"So it seems to me Pam that you enjoyed the company more than the location." She had been gushing on and on about the models on the shoot.

"It was a first for me I'll tell you that." Most of the people that she works with are high-maintenance.

"So tell me, are you going to see him again?" She drained her drink.

"Since when did I say it was a he?" She tilted her glass towards our waiter so he knew to bring her another.

I was a little speechless.

"Um, ya didn't. I just assumed."

"Well sweetheart, we all know what they say about when you assume."

The waiter came and refreshed our mimosas. This was going to be my last one. I didn't want to let my Sunday slip away because I got a little too happy at brunch.

"True. I won't assume any more."

"It's okay dear. I won't hold it against you. You are after all my best friend."

And she was mine. We understood what made each other tick. Some people found her bristly, but I just adored her. We could count on each other. I knew that she would do anything for me as I would for her.

"So let me rephrase, are you going to see _her_ again?"

"Perhaps. Most models tend to be pretty flighty. Indira seems different, so we'll see."

"Indira. That's a pretty name."

"She's a beautiful woman."

"Tell me about her."

"She's really exotic. Long dark hair that trails halfway down her back. Her eyes are like nothing I've ever seen. I don't know what it is about her Sookie, but I was just drawn to her. I think she was to me as well. And hell, if you're ever going to experiment, you might as well do it in a beach bungalow on a small tropical island."

She showed me a picture she took of Indira with her cell phone.

"She _is _beautiful. Does she live here in the city?" Pam smiled proudly when I mentioned Indira's beauty.

"Among other places. She also spends a good deal of time in L.A. and… London." She raised an eyebrow when she told me London. Pam and I _loved_ London. She got a distant look in her eye and ran her hand over her cheek as if she was remembering something. She seemed to snap out of it quickly.

"Enough about me. What's up with you hotshot? How's the new project?"

"Victor has been off our backs lately, which is great. I keep waiting for him to pop up and cause problems, but so far he's been silent."

"I suppose there's a first for everything."

"Lafayette met someone new. They went out the other night and if you could have seen him the next day Pam, he was grinning from ear to ear."

"I'll make sure to call him later." Pam always swore that becoming friends with Lafayette was the best thing I got out of my job. "So what trouble have you managed to get yourself into while I've been gone?"

"Not much. I went to the Yankees game the other night with Stan."

"Who's Stan?" Pam's eyebrows went up.

"I told you didn't I? He's my contact down at Citigroup. I had the extra ticket, so I thought I'd ask if he wanted to go."

"Really? Do tell. Is he hot?"

"Pam!"

"Oh don't get your panties in a bunch."

"First of all, he's my client. So it doesn't make a difference if he's hot or not. Secondly, he's seeing someone. And you know better than anyone else why I wouldn't look at someone who is already taken."

"You're right. I do. Enough said." Of course she knew. Pam was there with me when I was at my worst. She let me wallow for a little while and then told me when it was time to start living again. I'd love her forever for that. "So what else did I miss?"

"Not much. Oh, I finally heard from Amelia."

"The shoe-wrecker?"

"For the love of god Pam, the woman's water broke and she was in labor!" Pam took it harder than I did that my shoes were ruined. She truly was a slave to fashion. "Anyway, her husband Tray is coming home from Iraq so she called to invite me to a welcome home party they're having for him on Thursday. She said that Tray wanted to meet me."

"Well isn't that just sweet. Where is it?"

"It's at the Boat Basin. Why? Amelia said that I could bring someone if I wanted to. Do you want to come with?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I'll be working with 'you know who' this week, so there's no telling what hours I'll be keeping. I'm just trying to plan an appropriate outfit for you. You never know who you might meet at the party." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Pam, I'm sure I'll be heading straight from work. And it's not like you really have to dress up for the Boat Basin."

"I'll have some suggestions for you by Wednesday."

I've learned over the years that it's best not to argue with Pam when it comes to stuff like this. It's best to just let it go. So I did.

We enjoyed the rest of our brunch together and managed not to get drunk off of the mimosas – always a plus. Afterward we made our way over to Columbus Ave and walked from shop to shop. Pam was on the hunt for something new. She was always shopping as if it was a sport. She dragged me into Älskling, this tiny little boutique. She knew the designer whose clothes were featured in it and insisted that we stop in and check out their summer sale.

It didn't take long for us to take over the boutique. I mean literally take over. The boutique is really small and Pam can be a bit of a whirlwind when she's shopping. She had tons of things that she was handing over to one of the sales girls for her and for me. I humored her and tried on what she chose for me. I knew better than to question any of her choices. She had an amazing eye, which was part of why she was so successful as a wardrobe stylist.

I did try on a beautiful slip dress in what the sales girl said was in 'sea spray blue'. I felt like a million dollars in that dress. The color set off the blue in my eyes and worked great with my tan and the blonde of my hair. Pam insisted I buy it. This time, I would have bought it even if she didn't insist.

We spent another hour or two shopping before we parted ways. She had some early call times on Monday and Tuesday, but she said that she'd actually meet me for a run in the park on Wednesday morning. I was a little concerned, because usually she only runs when she's super stressed or being chased.

I had a ton of laundry to fold and put away that night so I turned on the tv and sat on my bed to fold. _The Holiday_ was on. I liked that movie. It was fluff as Pam would call it. I liked it because it was sentimental in parts and because both women started the movie attached to men that were real jerks, yet at the end they both had somehow found the perfect men for them. At the scene where Cameron Diaz's character is thinking back on her visit and starts to cry thinking of how much she'll miss Jude Law's character, her perfect man; I found myself thinking about the perfect man for me.

It was easier to know what I really wanted because I've seen so much of what I _don't _want. I know that the perfect man would be someone who was honest first and foremost. He'd be outgoing, funny, thoughtful and kind. He would be close to his family. Family was important to me. My perfect man would also be active, maybe someone who I could run with or play tennis with. You would think in a city of eight million people that there would be someone out there for me like that right? So far, he's proven to be pretty elusive.

Monday and Tuesday flew by. Our concept review went really well with the Citigroup folks. They chose a few that they wanted to see developed more fully. That meant a lot more work over the next two weeks. It also meant that we'd need to start working towards booking talent for some of the print work we'd be doing. I might have some work for Pam. I was glad to be meeting her for a run this morning. I was thrilled to be able to send some work her way and wanted to find out her schedule for the next month. Hopefully when we got the go ahead, she'd be free.

I made my way to Riverside Park and ran down to where we said we'd meet up. I was surprised when I found her there waiting.

She was really excited that I might have some work for her and she said she'd email me her schedule later today when we got to work.

"I heard from Indira."

"Really? That's great!"

"Yeah, she said she's going to be in the city next week and wanted to know if I'd like to go out."

"So what did you tell her?"

"That I had some work scheduled but I thought I could find some free time."

Pam, never making it easy for anyone.

"Are you excited?"

"Sookie, you know me better than that."

It was hard to tell as we were running because we were both grimacing a little bit, but I did think she looked a little excited even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Okay, I won't push it."

"Smart move Stackhouse. Now, about your outfit for tomorrow…" She kept making suggestions for different dresses to wear. She knew my wardrobe since she helped me purchase most of it. After the third outfit, I'd heard enough.

"Come on. I've got to get to work, pick up the pace."

We ran in silence for the next mile until we both headed for home.

{88888}

(_Älskling is an actual boutique on Columbus & 70th. They've got an colorful and eclectic collection of clothes.)_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Thanks to **_**peppermintyrose**_** and to **_**Northwoman**_** for taking the time to review. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback (and by helping me navigate my commas and my 'that' addiction). **

**Disclaimer – Charlaine Harris owns the SVM.**

**Chapter 4 – Doing the Right Thing**

Shortly after arriving to work on Wednesday I got a call from Stan, who was quite worked up.

"I did it, Stackhouse!" was what I heard the second I picked up the phone. I didn't even get a chance for my regular greeting or to say hello. I wonder what had him so worked up.

"I'd say you had the winning numbers last night for the Mega Millions jackpot, but since you're calling from your work phone, I'm guessing that's not the answer."

"No, it's even better!"

"Are you going to make me guess here Stan, or are you going to tell me what's got you so worked up at this hour of the morning?"

"I had my date last night with Halleigh. Sookie, it was great. Thanks for the idea of going to a concert in the park. Halleigh's new to the city. She'd never been to the Philharmonic in the Park performance before. We went to dinner at a place she'd heard about on Amsterdam and then we walked to the park afterward."

"That sounds great, Stan. So it went well?" He sounded so excited.

"It did! I had to tell you because you gave me the idea. We're going to go out again this weekend. She said that she wanted to go out on the ferry. She's really nice and she's originally from the South like me. She was so easy to talk to. Now I kind of feel silly for being so nervous."

I really liked that about Stan. He was so unassuming. He was a little shy but outgoing at the same time. He also had a good sense of humor. I knew that even after this project was completed, we'd remain friends. Halleigh was a lucky woman. My time would come… I was just hoping it was before I was 50.

"Nah. It's hard putting yourself out there, Stan. I'm glad you did it. Good luck this weekend."

"Thanks!"

"Did you guys give the approval yet to start work on the photo shoots for the ads?"

"No, I'll get it to you later today though. I promise."

"No problem Stan. I'm just trying to get my ducks in a row. Listen, I've got to dash. I see Victor headed this way."

"Enough said. Talk to you later." Stan wasn't a fan of Victor either.

That was the last free moment I would have for the next day and a half. It turns out that Victor, trying to impress a potential client had committed to having a fully functioning web page built as part of a demonstration that was taking place Thursday afternoon. I knew when I saw him walking towards my office at 8:20 with a coffee in hand and a smarmy smile on his face that he had oversold something again. That snake would only stop by to bring me coffee when he needed us to work miracles. Lafayette and I were in the office with a couple of others until about 2:00am.

We all were needed back ready to work again at 8:00am. I still went for my run this morning. I needed it to work out all of the cobwebs out of my brain. I had Tray's welcome home party tonight. Ugh, I didn't know how I was going to manage pulling myself together to do that after last night. I couldn't remember what Pam had talked about yesterday morning as far as her "approved outfits" so I stood absentmindedly in front of my closet earlier trying to figure out what I could wear that would double as office & party appropriate attire. I spied the dress I bought on Sunday hanging on the back of my closet door. It was a pretty dress and the color just really worked for me. It would certainly do for work and for the party afterward. Since I was feeling tired, I thought putting on the dress would help perk me up a little bit and help me look better than I felt. I grabbed a shrug to wear over it at the office since it was always cold. This was just as good as any of Pam's suggestions.

Since it was a little earlier than normal when I left for work, I was happy to find that I could take a cab into the office today. I just didn't have it in me to hit the subway this morning. We took the West Side Highway downtown, and I was able to ride with the windows down and enjoy a little breeze from the river. Aaah. A girl can get used to this type of commute.

The first order of business once I got into the office was to give Arlene some money and send her out on a coffee run for the team. We all needed a caffeine infusion, the good kind. Not the crap we had here in the office. Everyone was looking a little bleary eyed. Good java would help.

We worked feverishly throughout the day. We managed the seven different interruptions from Victor and when he came up for the eighth time to offer his opinion, I had had enough.

"Victor. If you want this to get done for your deadline, you _must_ back off. You've given us less than 36 hours to pull off a miracle to save your ass and we're really close to doing it. But if you come over here one more time and interrupt my team, it won't be pretty."

"Sookie, may I see you in your office, please?"

Ugh. I really didn't like being alone in a room with him. I knew I was going to get it. At this point I was so overtired I didn't really care. But still, Victor gave off that creepy uncle vibe and it made me uncomfortable. I nodded my head and walked behind him to my office. As we left I heard Lafayette start to sass under his breath. I walked into my office and Victor closed the door behind me.

"If I were you, I would watch myself. You've been doing a good job with Citigroup, don't let it get to your head. If it weren't for me going out and looking for new business, you and your merry bunch of men out there would be out of a job. You'd do well to keep that in mind, Sookie; because you never know when your work could dry up." He leaned across the desk from me and sneered.

"Victor, I've really had enough. Do you want me gone? Fine. I'm outta here. Let's just see if your presentation goes off as planned today. And the Citigroup deal. Good luck with that." I was tired and cranky and seriously not in the mood for his crap today. I've always been one to stick up for myself and my team, but I don't think I would have been so bold if I wasn't exhausted. I started to pull my bag out of the desk drawer that I always threw it in and stood up. Victor let me walk to my door before saying,

"You don't have the guts."

"Oh really? Have fun explaining this to Felipe." I wasn't the first employee Victor had tried to bully and I wasn't the first to threaten to leave. I had my hand on the doorknob when Victor conceded.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Sookie. Since you have been putting in a lot of hours lately, I'm willing to overlook this misunderstanding."

"The only one misunderstanding here, Victor, is you. I work hard. I take pride in what I do and let's face it, Victor, I make you look good. You've gotta lay off. Could I have pulled you into a different room to tell you off? Sure, I could have done it in here instead of out of the floor. I'll give you that. But make no mistake; you do need to be told to back off."

"You have 90 minutes Sookie to have that thing completed, tested and working flawlessly. Tick Tock."

With that, he left the office.

We worked quickly and quietly for the next 90 minutes and by some good fortune we were able to pull off getting the site finished in time for Victor & Felipe's meeting. Felipe thanked the team profusely for pulling together and doing the impossible. Victor just scowled and said nothing.

After they left the building it was if a weight was lifted off of all of our shoulders. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. We needed a break.

"Okay guys. Let's head out. Who's up for going to grab a bite?"

"Sugar, after today, I need more than a bite. I need me a whole damn side of beef."

"Lafayette, just what are you after?" Usually when Lafayette said something like that, he really meant something else entirely.

"Ooh, baby girl! I'm rubbing off on you aren't I? I like the way you think!"

"It's the exhaustion talking, Lafayette. Come on, let's get going."

There ended up being six of us all together that went out for an early dinner and drinks. At first we were all kind of quiet. We were all tired and to be able to sit and relax for a little bit I think made all of us a little sleepy. Since it was early, we got a table with no problem. We went to a little hole in the wall around the corner from the office. Chat & Chew made really great comfort food and we were all in need of a little comfort.

Instead of ordering a cocktail, like I normally would, I ordered some soda. If I had anything to drink right about now, I'm sure that I'd fall asleep. And I still had Tray's welcome home party to go to. I was about _this_ close to bailing out. But, I said I would go. I would stay for a drink, say hello to Tray and Amelia and then head home.

I ordered the most delicious mac & cheese with peas and chicken. It was total comfort food and exactly what I needed. Lafayette ordered their homemade brisket with a side of mashed potatoes. We always shared dishes when we came here. Tonight would be no exception. I think if I was stranded on a desert island, I would ask to bring those mashed potatoes with me.

We all relaxed and chatted for the next hour and a half. The conversation was flowing easily. At first, it was a bitch-fest about Victor and it sure felt good for all of us to unload a little. But quickly the conversation turned to more positive subjects. We talked about music and I got all fan girl when Terry told me that he had met the lead guitarist of Kings of Leon. I loved their music. Loved it! I was swooning and Terry told me that he'd bring in the CD that he got autographed to show me. I wasn't surprised to learn that Holly was really into Enya. Holly always struck me as someone who was new agey. She was a firm believer in holistic medicines and healing. I remember when I sprained my ankle in the spring while running; she gave me some 'natural' anti-inflammatory supplements. I never took them. I wasn't a big fan of taking medication to begin with but supplements that I had no idea what they would do to me, I wasn't going to do.

Eventually, our group started to thin out after the restaurant started filling with after-work diners. Lafayette and I were the last two at the table. I took out my corporate card to pay for the dinner.

"Awh sweetness, whatchyou got going on tonight? Did I tell you that you were lookin' fine today? We were so swamped I don't think that I even got the chance?"

"Thanks, Lafayette. Nothing much. I'd love to be going home to bed, but I've got to drop in and see Amelia tonight. She's having a welcome home party for her husband tonight and I said I'd go."

"You could always call and say no, sugar. That's your problem, you're always doing for others. You need to take care of yourself. If you're too tired to go, just beg off."

"Nah. I can manage one drink. Thanks for caring though, sweetie."

"You know I do. How's that fine fashionista friend of yours doing?"

I didn't know if she'd talked to Lafayette about Indira, and it wasn't my place to tell him.

"I don't know, Laf. She's been busy at work for 'you know who' this week, so between her work and my work, we haven't caught up much. So, what's going on with you? How's your new friend doing?"

"Awh Sook, he's okay. He's got a rockin' bod, there's no question there. But he's definitely not Mr. Right. He's Mr. Right Now. That's all."

"I know the feeling, Laf. I know the feeling. But after that night at Splash you were just gushing over him."

"Yeah, well that's 'cause he had his best face on. Let's just say that a little bloom has come off of the rose. He's pretty shallow. I'm the first to admit that I can be too a little bit at times, but this guy kind of takes it to new levels."

"So then what are you doing with him?"

"Having fun until it stops being fun. I don't think he sees this as anything more, either."

I shrugged my shoulders. I would hate to see him hurt.

Lafayette walked me to the subway and made me promise to leave tonight as soon as I got tired. He was always looking out for me. Pam was right. Meeting Lafayette was the best thing that I got out of my job.

Thankfully, the initial rush was over by the time I got on the #1 train heading uptown. I was able to get a seat and for a few minutes I closed my eyes. I think I might have fallen asleep there for a few minutes. I wound up jolted awake when the train pulled into 42nd Street. Oddly, I felt a little refreshed after my five minute cat nap. I opened my bag and pulled out my compact. I popped some mints into my mouth. I didn't have a place to brush my teeth quickly and I certainly didn't want to smell like my creamy mac & cheese. I reapplied some lipstick and ran my fingers through my hair. By the time we pulled into 79th Street, I felt like a new woman.

Stepping out onto the street, I was hit by the heat. I could feel my energy being sucked right out of me. I was determined to go. It would be nice to see Amelia again and to meet Tray. I could always use some new friends. I felt bad though that I was showing up to a party empty handed. If it had been at their home, I would have brought a bottle of wine or some other liquor. Gran would have scolded me for showing up to a party without bringing a little something, but I hardly thought that bringing a bottle of wine or liquor to a bar/restaurant was appropriate.

As I walked the long blocks to the party, I caught myself thinking about how much I loved living in New York City. There was always activity and tonight was no exception. There were people sitting on stoops of their buildings catching up on the latest gossip. There were moms chasing after young kids on bikes racing down the sidewalk. There were people who were heading home from work, some of whom were so busy on their phones they almost walked into things. There were runners and groups of friends headed out for a night on the town. There was always something going on and you never really had to be alone if you didn't want to here.

Pam told me that you could always tell who was a New Yorker because they never looked at the ground. Not because they didn't want to make eye contact, but because they didn't want to step in dog crap. I found myself looking down and surprised myself when I finally made it to the entrance to the park closest to the Boat Basin.

I smoothed out my dress and made sure that my shrug was tucked into my work bag as I made my way down the weathered marble steps into the park. As I walked, I couldn't help but think of all of the people that must have used these same steps over the years. I had some framed vintage pictures of Riverside Park hanging in my apartment, and from the view you could see these same steps were here. I wondered how many famous residents of the Upper West Side have taken the exact same route I was at that moment. The breeze off the river was noticeable as I descended and I was instantly happy that Amelia decided to have the party here. Not only was that it close to my apartment, but also to the cooling breezes of the river.

I smoothed out my dress and made my way to the hostess stand. She told me that they were closed for a private party. I told her I was a guest of the Dawsons. She replied with a shrug and motioned for me to go on over to join in. I was a feeling a little awkward since I only knew Amelia and Eric, but I made my way over to the bar and got a drink. I got a frozen margarita. It's not what I would normally order, but they made really good ones here. I took a sip of my drink and smiled. It was ice cold and it was done just right. Not too strong, not too sweet. I turned to look around the bar and saw Amelia waving to me from across the way. She did look a bit tired, but she looked so happy. I waved back and she motioned for me to come over.

"Sookie, how are you? I'm so glad you came." She had stepped out of the circle of people that surrounded her to come and give me a big hug. I hugged her back.

"It's good to see you, Amelia. You look so happy."

"I am now that I have both of my boys home with me where they belong." She looked over her shoulder and saw Tray and motioned him over. "Tray, there's someone I want you to meet. This is Sookie."

I recognized Tray from the picture Amelia showed me the day she gave birth to Calvin. His wavy black hair was replaced by a military high & tight cut, but his green eyes sparkled as he took in his wife. He was holding Calvin and offered him to Amelia to hold for a moment.

"Sookie." He gave me a huge hug. "Thank you _so_ much. Really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thanks for being there for Ames and Cal when I couldn't."

"You're welcome, Tray. I was happy to do it. Amelia was really strong and brave. She was so impressive. And she only threatened me once."

Amelia playfully swatted my arm for that remark.

"Don't be telling tales now, Sookie. Hey. My folks have wanted to meet you too. Come with me this way." She pulled me over to a table where a very well put together man and woman were sitting. Amelia's mother was beautiful. She had her hair cut in a fashionable bob. She had some silver coming in here and there throughout her chestnut locks. She wore a beautiful string of black pearls which complimented the coral shell that she wore. Amelia's dad was ridiculously tall, you could tell even with him sitting. His blonde hair had white peppering his side burns. He wore a white polo shirt that complimented his tan. They were a stunning couple.

"Mom, Dad? I'd like you to meet Sookie."

"Sookie, we've been wanting to thank you." Amelia's mother rose from her seat and walked around the table with her arms outstretched. "Thank you so much for helping our little girl."

"Mom, we've been through this before. I'm in my twenties, I'm not a little girl anymore."

Amelia's mother rolled her eyes.

"Nonsense, dear. Wait a few years and tell me that you don't feel the same way about Calvin."

"Sookie." Her father rose from his chair and smiled at me warmly as he walked over to stand with his wife. "It's truly a pleasure to meet you." He offered me his outstretched hand. "I'm Peter and this is Sophie."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both, sir."

"Nonsense. Please call me Peter, after all who knows where our grandson would be without your help."

I smiled and made small talk with them. I heard all about every cute little thing that Calvin had done over the past few weeks. It made me think of how much I would miss my parents when the time came for me to have children. I missed them still, even after all of these years but the hurt had lessened after time. It was times like this when the hurt felt a little stronger.

After a polite amount of time I excused myself and walked to the bar get a soda before my walk home. I was just turning around to leave when I saw Eric. He was kind of hard to miss, standing about a head above everyone else. But that's not made me notice him tonight. He was talking to Tray and some other guys and was laughing. It was hard not to notice his boisterous laugh and his bright smile. He looked really handsome. Eric noticed me and left the group to come over to say hello.

"Hi, Eric. It's good to see you. How's it going?"

"Good, Sookie. Where are you going?"

"I was just getting ready to leave."

"You can't do that. The night is still young."

He smiled at me. I was tired but I couldn't help but smile back at him. He looked at me and I felt like he was kind of taking me all in.

"You know, Sookie, your boyfriend is a lucky man. I didn't see him here tonight."

"Um, who are you talking about, Eric?"

"You know, the man you were with that night at the bar."

"He's not my boyfriend, Eric. He's just a friend from work. I'm not seeing anyone."

His smile grew.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Thanks to **_**peppermintyrose**_** and to **_**Northwoman**_** for taking the time to review. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback (and by helping me navigate my commas and my 'that' addiction). **

**Disclaimer – Charlaine Harris owns the SVM.**

**Doing the Right Thing**

**Chapter 5**

His smile grew and he looked at me thoughtfully. It was hard not to smile back when he was looking at me like that.

"Sookie, I…" Eric didn't get to finish his thought because Tray came walking up behind him and gave him a big slap on the back.

"Uncle Eric. There you are!"

"Uh, hey Tray. Everything okay?"

"Oh sure, but Amelia and your mom are finally getting a chance to eat and they asked me to take care of the little man for a few minutes. But I've really gotta hit the head. Do you mind taking him for a few?"

"Sure, Tray." Eric's arms stretched out to Tray to take little Calvin. He smiled as he looked down at his nephew and started making little faces at him. I got a little closer so I could see Calvin.

"Hi, sweet boy." I brushed his cheek. He was a happy little guy. He wasn't fussing at all. I couldn't help but smile at him.

For the second time tonight, I found myself thinking of my parents. Calvin was so lucky to have grandparents who would fawn over him, and Amelia was so lucky to have her mother and father to share these moments with. I also thought of my Gran, and how terribly I missed her. Since she took Jason and me in after our parents died; she was my grandmother, my mother and my best friend. She'd always talked about wanting a house full of great-grandbabies. We both always joked that Jason, tomcat that he is, would be the first to give her some. It made me a little wistful thinking that when the time came, I wouldn't have her to share these moments with either.

"Hey, Sookie. Are you okay?"

I didn't realize it, but I must have zoned out there for a minute too long.

"I'm fine, Eric. I was just remembering something. Here, let me hold him for a minute?"

Eric nodded his head and I got my arms ready to hold the little man. I couldn't help but kiss his cheeks once I had him and take in his yummy little baby smell. He smelled of talc and Johnson's baby shampoo and well, just baby. I loved that smell. Who didn't?

As I looked up from my little snuggle with Calvin, I saw Eric was watching me. I hadn't a clue what he was thinking and couldn't help but feel a little self conscious under his intense stare.

Thankfully I was soon distracted as the sweet smelling baby I had been enjoying just a moment before, wasn't so sweet smelling anymore.

"Ew."

"Excuse me?" Eric got a wrinkle in his brow.

"I'm sorry, not you. I think the little guy needs a diaper change."

"Oh. Huh. I don't think I can really help you there."

"Tell me you're not scared of a tiny baby with a tiny diaper." Eric smirked. _Men._ "We'll be fine. I'll just go find Amelia."

Eric placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me in Amelia's direction. She was still sitting down with her parents enjoying dinner.

"Now I left him with Tray. How come you've got him, Sookie?"

"It's no problem, Amelia. He had to go to the bathroom and asked Eric to hold him for a minute. I just couldn't resist. It's been weeks since I got a chance to do this."

"So long as you don't mind."

"I certainly don't. However, someone needs a diaper change. Can I have your diaper bag?"

Amelia started to get up from the table.

"Listen, take advantage while you can Amelia. I don't mind changing him. I'll just take your bag and I'll be right back. You stay here and finish your dinner. There'll be plenty of other diapers for you to change I'm sure."

"If you're sure."

"Honey, don't give her time to change her mind." Amelia's mother stood and picked up the diaper bag. "Here, Sookie. I'll go with you."

I was going to protest when I realized she had the diaper bag in hand and was steering me towards the bathroom.

"You're such a dear to do this for her. Peter and I have been after her to eat and let people help her while they can. She doesn't know how much she'll miss it when it's just her and Calvin." As I was gently laying Calvin down to change him, she cooed at him.

"You must be sad to leave them."

"Yes, but Tray's home now. It's time that they get to bond as a family without the grandparents poking around. He'll grow really quickly and I'll miss him, but it will certainly be good to get back to our own home."

By this time, Sophie had a clean diaper in hand and was still making little funny faces to entertain Calvin as I got him cleaned.

"Amelia told me you live inFlorida?"

"Yes, we moved down a number of years ago. Peter got tired of the winter as did I. I like to golf and we live on a beautiful course. Do you play?"

"Occasionally for work."

I had finished getting Calvin all cleaned and I asked Sophie to hold him for a moment so I could wash my hands.

I took Calvin back into my arms and walked with him back to the table. Amelia and Eric were sitting side by side laughing with their father. Tray had joined them at the table as well.

"Tray, you dodged it this time. But be warned, you're going to have to learn to change your son's diapers very soon."

"Sophie, I had no idea. Honest!" I could swear that at that moment she rolled her eyes before she asked her husband to go with her to the bar to get a drink. Peter, being a gentleman, stood up and held the chair out for me while I sat down with Calvin.

"Eric, Tray, let's go get these ladies something to drink shall we?" Peter suggested. The guys got up and walked over to the bar.

I fussed over Calvin for a few more minutes while Amelia finished the last of her dinner. When she was done she stood up to get Calvin. He had fallen asleep while I held him.

"Sookie, have you eaten yet?"

"I'm fine, Amelia, thanks. I had an early work dinner before I came here."

"Sookie, tell me, what is it that you do?"

"Well, I'm afraid that it's nothing too exciting, Sophie. I am a Vice President of a marketing and communications firm downtown. We do a little bit of everything from help with M&A's to ad campaigns to web design and everything in between."

"That sounds interesting, Sookie. And do you like what you do?"

"Truthfully it depends on the day. Today, I'm not as enthusiastic as I normally would be. It's been a long couple of days." Which had me start thinking about how much I'd like to go home right now and get reacquainted with my pillows.

"Really?"

"We had some hard and fast deadlines we were up against for a deliverable and it led to a very late night last night."

"Oh, does that happen often?"

"It depends on the project or the client. When you're dealing with clients, you can plan well, but you never know what you'll be asked to do."

I was surprised Sophie was taking an interest in what I did. Perhaps she was just trying to be polite.

The men had come back from the bar bearing drinks. Eric handed me a ginger ale. How thoughtful that he noticed what I had been drinking. I took a few sips and started to tune out as the group talked around me. I listened in as Tray was telling stories about his experiences inAfghanistan, but I felt myself getting tired again. One of Tray's friends had come up to the table for a moment and I thought that would be the perfect opportunity to say my goodbyes.

Eric was seated next to me and he leaned over to speak in my ear.

"You look like you're getting tired."

The feeling of his warm breath on my neck made me shiver.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm not hiding it as well as I thought. It's not the company. It's been a long few days at work."

"Come on, let's go for a walk."

He stood up and extended his hand to help me up.

I took his hand and got up from the table. I noticed as I did how gently he took my hand. Everyone was engrossed in conversation, so I made my way over to Amelia to say a quiet goodbye.

"I just wanted to say a quick goodbye Amelia." I leaned over and gave her a quick hug.

"Thanks so much for stopping by. It was so good to see you. I'm glad you got a chance to meet Tray. Maybe we can meet up soon?"

"I'd like that too." I genuinely liked Amelia.

I also said goodbye to Tray, who told me 'he owed me one' and a after I said a quick farewell to Amelia's folks as well, I felt Eric's hand on the small of my back once again.

"Come on, this way." He steered me toward the river. I loved coming to the Boat Basin. It was a marble structure that was underneath the 79th Street roundabout. It was open on two sides; one being open to the river which was just a few steps away. For the first couple of years the Boat Basin was a hidden oasis for Upper West-siders like me. Over the past few years though, word spread and now it was a very crowded destination most summer days. Even though it was getting late, the park was still bustling with runners, people walking their dogs, rollerbladers and couples strolling through the park. I walked towards the railing and leaned over to look out at the houseboats that dotted the river in front of us.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to live on one of these houseboats." Eric confided.

The houseboats varied in their appearance. Some were small and boxy, others resembled actual boats while others were a bit more grand in size and appearance. None of them, though, rivaled the ones I had seen in San Francisco when I was there last year with Felipe for work.

"I have, too. I've actually wondered what type of person would chose to live on a houseboat. In a city with millions of apartments, why would someone chose to live on a little houseboat instead? Although, come to think of it, none of them appear to be smaller than a studio apartment."

"Thankfully, I've never had to live in one."

"I haven't either. When I first moved to the city, the real estate broker I was working with showed me a couple. But I couldn't do it. I'd feel as if I couldn't escape myself. It's amazing what a change of scenery can do, even if it's just moving from one room to another."

"Where did you live before coming here?"

"I grew up on Cape Cod."

"I've been there before."

"Who hasn't?" So much of the local economy was dependant on the summer crowds, but as a local, we could be intolerant of them too. "Where about?"

"Chatham. We'd go up occasionally during the summer."

"That's not too far from where I grew up."

"It must have been a great place to grow up. There were times Amelia and I didn't want to leave."

"It was." Tonight was full of reflection as I thought of Gran's old house on the lake. I really hoped that Jason was keeping up with it. "We lived on a lake. It was great fun in the summer and in the winter too. I've got a lot of good memories there."

"Do you have brothers and sisters?"

"Just one. I have an older brother, Jason. He still lives up there."

"Are you close?"

"We're somewhere in-between right now. We were closer when we were younger. He couldn't figure out why I needed to leave home. He couldn't imagine why I'd move to the City of all places and he has a hard time with me being a Yankees fan."

That made Eric laugh.

"So he thinks you're a traitor?"

"That about sums it up."

"Don't tell anyone, but I actually used to be a Mets fan."

"Eric… shhhh. People might hear you."

We walked in companionable silence for a little while. I was tired, but it was nice to have someone to walk with and talk to. I realized with Eric walking next to me, I usually spent a lot of time by myself.

"So where are we walking to?"

"Oh. I just started walking. But I do live up this way. I think perhaps I'll just head home."

"Would you mind if I walked you home?"

"No. I appreciate the company."

"So do I." He smiled at me with the big grin he had earlier this evening. It was just what I needed to make me smile too.

We made our way out of the park and back onto the busy streets of the city. Although at this hour, Riverside Drive was one of the less busy streets in the city. It was one of the reasons I liked living here so much. Not only was it the proximity to the park and the river, but it was also the fact that since it was so far west, it wasn't as traveled as some of the other avenues were.

I turned down 85th Street and Eric followed.

"This is a nice block."

"It's relatively quiet. I like it because it's so close to the park. My building's about half way down the block."

"Sookie?"

"Yes?"

"Since you're not seeing anyone, I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime."

"With you?" Crap. That came out wrong. I didn't mean it like that. I was just taken aback. I assumed that someone like him would be already dating someone. I could feel a blush start to creep up my cheeks. He wanted to go out with me?

"That was the general idea, yes."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it must have sounded." Now I was blushing full-on for sure. Eric laughed a little. "Sure. I'd love to."

"Good."

"Well, this is it." We had stopped outside of my building. Eric handed me his phone so I could put in my numbers. I gave him mine so he could do the same.

"Are you free on Saturday?" _This_ Saturday? Two nights from now? Crap. I had set some tentative plans with Pam. If Indira was still in town though, perhaps she wouldn't be pissed at me if I cancelled.

"I was supposed to be going to a show with my friend, Pam, but she hasn't confirmed yet."

"Then why don't I give you a call tomorrow so we can set something up?"

"That would be nice, Eric."

He reached over and took my hand in his and then he leaned in to dust my cheek with a kiss. It was quick and chaste, but a kiss none-the-less. I found myself wanting more.

"Good night, Sookie."

"Good night, Eric."

He watched me walk up the steps to the door and I gave him a small wave before I went inside the building. As I made my way to the elevator, I couldn't believe how my night turned out. This morning, I was dreading going out tonight because of how rough work had been. Then Lafayette tried to talk me out of going and into just going home to rest instead. Thankfully, I decided to do the right thing and go to the party as I said I would. Look where it got me, a date with one _very_ handsome man.

I don't really remember the elevator ride, or getting into my apartment. I was too busy replaying the walk home with Eric in my head. But somehow, I got myself washed up and ready for bed, finally getting reacquainted with my pillows. I turned on the alarm and rolled over to go to sleep. I slept soundly.


End file.
